Pile wire for wire looms and method of weaving pile fabrics



Feb. 23, 1954 F. P, GROAT 2,670,013

PILE WIRE FOR WIRE LOOMS AND METHOD OF WEAV TNG FILE FABRICS.

Filed Aug. 17, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. 77411473 R 6" if TOR/YE )1 F. P GROAT Feb. 23, 1954 PILE WIRE FOR WIRE LOOMS AND METHOD OF WEAVING PILE FABRICS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 1'7, 1949 INVENTORT fianqz's 1? Grad I ,WTOMVEK Patented Feb. 23, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PILE WIRE FOR WIRE LOOMS AND METHOD OF WEAVING PILE FABRICS Francis P. Groat, Bloomsburg, Pa., assignor to The Magee Carpet Company, Bloomsburg, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvama Application August 17, 1949, Serial No. 110,788

14 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in pile wires for wire looms and method of weaving a pile fabric.

It is old and well known in the art of weaving pile fabrics on a wire loom to employ pile wires to form rows of loop pile. Pile wires having a straight loop forming edge produce Weftwise rows of loops of a uniform height. To produce weftwise rows of loops of two definite heights a I wire having a raised portion or knob on the end as disclosed in the patent to Shuttleworth No. 2,164,090 has been used. In my prior application Serial Number 20,547, now Patent No. 2,546,261, issued March 27, 1951, a pile Wire is disclosed having its loop forming edge of undulating shape to produce weftwise rows of loops of uniform graduated-height. In all previous methods heretofore known the wires employed either produce weftwise rows of loops of the same height, or loops of two definite heights, or loops of uniform graduated height which necessarily limit the design of the pile surface produced.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a pile wire and method of weaving pile fabrics wherein the pile loops in each weftwise row are of varyin heights indiscriminately arranged throughout the length of the row in accordance with a pattern.

A further object of the invention resides in providing a pile wire having an undulating loop forming edge to provide high and low loop formin portions and a raised portion or knob on the end of the wire of greater height than the high loop forming portions of the wire.

A still further object of the invention resides in providing a loop forming wire of the character mentioned which may be employed in combination with the conventional cutting wire to produce a fabric having both a tuft and loop pile surface, the loops being of varying heights arranged according to a pattern.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanyin drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed. to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a fabric being woven in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 is a warpwise sectional view of the fabric, Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a fabric being woven in accordance with my in- 2 vention to produce a tuft and loop pile fabric, and,

Fig. 4 is a warpwise sectional view of the fabric shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates the improved wire which is formed from a fiat strip of metal or other suitable material. The upper or loop forming edge of the wire is of undulating shape providing high and low loop forming portions 6 and 7 connected by inclined loop forming portions 8. At the end of the wire is a raised portion or knob 9 which is of greater height than any of the high loop forming portions 6. The high portions 6 throughout the length of the wire may be of uniform or varying height. Also the high and low portions of a series of wires when inserted in the fabric being woven may be in warpwise alinement or as shown in Fig. 1 the series of wires may be constructed so the high portions of a wire are opposite the low portions of the next succeedin wire.

The method may be carried out on a conventional wire loom having a Jacquard mechanism. The special wires 5 are substituted forthe conventional wires and a pattern card for the Jacquard mechanism controls the selection of the pile warps to be raised over the wires. Two or more frames of pile warp are employed.

In Fig. l of the drawing I have shown a fabric being woven in accordance with my method. The backing of the fabric may be of any suitable construction but I have shown a backing having stuffer warps ill with two series of weft threads II and i2, lying, respectively, above and below the stuffer warps and bound in place by crossed binding warps l3 and M. The sets of pile warps I 5 extend along thefabric in the body thereof between the stuifer warps and upper seriesof weft threads. The pile warps of each set are selectively raised by the Jacquard mechanism and a wire 5 is inserted in the shed formed by the raised warps. After the wire is inserted the warps are looped over the wire by lowering the warps to, pass under the next two upper weft threads. There are two upper and two lower weft threads inserted in the fabric between the wires as shown in Fig. 2. The loops formed on the wire will be of varying height. When a predetermined number of wires have been woven into the fabric, the wires are successively withdrawn and reinserted in a shed formed following the last wire in a series. When a wire is withdrawn all the loops formed thereon will be raised to; a height greater than the height of the highest loops on the wire. -As the wire is withdrawn the low loops are first raised to a height corresponding to the height of the highest loops, then as the loops pass over the knob 9 on the end of the wire all the loops are raised to a height corresponding to the height of the knob. When the next succeeding wire is withdrawn those warps looped over the wire which were also looped over the preceding wire will be pulled to reduce the height of the loops in the preceding row. As the loops on the wire withdrawn are raised varying amounts depending on whether the loop is formed over a low or high portion, the loops in the preceding row will be reduced in height a corresponding amount. As shown in Fig. 1, one warp of a set is looped over the second, fifth and sixth wires, counting from the right to the left of the drawing, and the other warp is looped over the first, third and fourth wires. When the first wire is withdrawn the loop thereon is raised to the height of the knob 9 and when each succeeding wire is withdrawn the loops formed thereon will be raised to a corresponding height. As shown in Fig. 2, the loop formed by withdrawal of the first wire will remain a high loop as the warp from which it is formed passes beneath the second wire. While the same warp is raised over the third wire the raising of the loop formed thereon will merely stretch the buried warp and not reduce the height of the loop in the first row as the four upper and four lower weft threads will hold the buried warp so it does not pull down the loop in the first row. As the warp from which the loop in the third row is formed is also raised over the fourth wire the withdrawal of this wire will reduce the height of the loop in the third row. As the warp of the loop in the second row is buried in the fabric beneath the third and fourth wires before being looped over the fifth and sixth wires it will remain high as the withdrawal of the fifth wire will merely stretch the buried warp and not pull on the loop in the second row. Also as the warp of the loop in the fourth row is buried beneath the fifth and sixth wires it will remain high whilethe loop in the fifth row will be reduced by raising of the loop in the sixth row. The degree to which the loop is reduced in height depends on whether the warp is raised over a high or low portion of the next succeeding wire. lection of the warps in each set to be raised over the wires, a loop pile may be produced having some loops as high as the knob 9, some as high as the high portions 6 and some as high as the low portions '5. The loops of varying heights may be produced indiscriminately in a weftwise or warpwise row of loops permitting designs of a wide variety to be produced.

In Figs. 3 and 4 a modification of the method is disclosed wherein the improved wire 5 is used in combination with a conventional cutting wire I6. The cutting wires are inserted in the fabric intermediate the wires 5 and the shank of the cutting wire has a height greater than the height of the knob 9 on the wires 5 so that the tufts formed by the cutting wire will be higher than any of the loops to allow for shearing the tufts. i

rover. the next succeeding cutting wire. or buried ainnthe fabric to pass beneath the cutting wire 76 saidp e' -r.

Thus it is seen by proper seand then raised over the next succeeding noncutting wire. When a warp raised over a noncutting wire is also raised over the next succeeding cutting wire, the loop formed by withdrawal of the non-cutting wire will remain high when the cutting wire is withdrawn. On the other hand if the warp is passed beneath the cutting wire and raised over the next succeeding noncutting wire, the withdrawal of this wire will pull the warp and reduce the height of the loop formed by withdrawal of the preceding non-cutting wire. Due to the undulating shape of the loop forming edges of the non-cutting wires and the raised portion at their ends, the loops are reduced varying degrees. Ordinarily a warp raised over a cutting wire is not raised over the next succeeding non-cutting wire, as the withdrawal of the non-cutting wire would pull the warp to reduce the height of one leg of the tuft formed by the cutting wire. However, this may be desirable in some designs to produce certain effects. If the warp is buried in the fabric beneath two or more of the wires before it is raised over a succeeding non-cutting wire, the withdrawal of this wire will stretch the buried warp to permit an increase in the height of the loops formed thereon without pulling on the tufts or loops formed from the same warp by withdrawal of a preceding wire.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A pile wire for wire looms comprising a shank having a loop forming edge of undulating shape and a non-cutting loop raising portion at the front end of said shank of greater height than the loop forming edge.

2. A pile wire for wire looms having high and low loop forming portions throughout its length connected by oppositely inclined loop forming portions and a non-cutting loop raising portion at the front end of said wire having a height greater than the loop forming portions.

3. In a wire loom having a series of pile wires, each of said wires having high and low loop forming portions connected by oppositely inclined loop forming portions, the high and low loop forming portions of a series of wires being in warpwise alinement and a non-cutting loop raising portion at the front end of each wire of greater height than the loop forming portions.

4. In a wire loom having a series of pile wires, each of said wires having high and low loop forming portions connected by oppositely inclined loop forming portions with the high portions of each wire opposite the low portions of the next adjacent wire and a non-cutting loop raising portion at the front end of each wire of greater height than the loop forming portions.

5. In a wire loom having a series of cuttingand non-cutting pile wires arranged in alternation, the non-cutting pile wires each having high and low loop forming portions connected by oppositely inclined p forming portions and a loop raising portion at the front end higher than the loop forming portions.

6. The method of weaving on a pile wire loom a pile fabric having a warp pile face including pile elements of varying height which comprises inserting a series of pile wires each having high and low loop forming portions connected by'oppositely inclined loop forming portions and a noncutting loop raising portion at its front end higher than the loop forming portions, selectively weaving pile warps overthe loop forming portions of said pile wires and successively withdrawing 7. The method of weaving on a pile wire loom a pile fabric having a warp pile face including pile elements of varying height which comprises inserting a pile wire having high and low loop forming portions connected by oppositely inclined loop forming portions and a loop raising portion at the front end higher than the loop forming portions, selectively weaving pile warps over said loop forming portions, selectively weaving pile warps over said loop forming portions to form a weftwise row of pile loops corresponding to the height of the loop forming portions of said pile wire, inserting a second pile wire having high and low loop forming portions connected by oppositely inclined loop forming portions and a loop raising portion at the front end higher than the loop forming portions, selectively weaving the pile warps over said loop forming portions of said second pile wire, converting the loops of said first mentioned row to high loops corresponding to the height of the loop raising portion at the end of the pile wire by withdrawing said first mentioned pile wire, and converting the loops of said first mentioned row in pile warps woven over the loop forming portions of said second pile wire to loops of varying height by withdrawing said second pile wire whereby said first mentioned row is formed with loops of varying height with some of the loops corresponding to the height of the loop raising portion at the front end of the first mentioned wire.

8. The method of weaving on a wire loom a pile fabric having a warp pile face including pile elements of varying height which comprises inserting a series of pile wires each having high and low loop forming portions connected by oppositely inclined loop forming portions and a loop raising portion at the front end higher than the loop forming portions, selectively weaving the pile warps over the loop forming portions to form weftwise rows of loops of varying heights, withdrawing a wire to convert the loops thereon to high loops corresponding to the height of the loop raising portion at the front end of the wire, and then withdrawing the next succeeding wire to raise all the loops thereon to a height corresponding to the height of the loop raising portion at the front end whereby the loops in the first mentioned row in pile warps woven over the wire withdrawn will be reduced in height in varying degrees.

9. The method of weaving on a wire loom a pile fabric having a warp pile face of loops of varying height which comprises inserting a series of pile wires each having high and low loop forming portions connected by oppositely inclined loop forming portions and a loop raising portion at the front end higher than the loop forming portions, selectively weaving the pile warps over the loop forming portions to form weftwise rows of loops of varying heights, converting all the loops in a row to high loops corresponding to the height of the loop raising portion at the front end of the wire by withdrawing a wire and then converting the high loops in the row just formed to loops of varying heights by withdrawing the next adjacent wire.

10. A method of weaving on a wire loom a pile fabric having a backing and sets of pile warps which comprises selectively raising the pile warps over cutting and non-cutting wires arranged in alternation, the non-cutting wires each having high and low loop forming portions connected by oppositely inclined loop forming portions and a loop raising portion at the front end higher than the loop forming portions and successively withdrawing said wires.

11. A method of weaving on a wire loom a pile fabric having a backing and sets of pile warps which comprises selectively raising the pile warps over non-cutting wires each having high and low loop forming portions connected by oppositely inclined loop forming portions and a loop raising portion at the front end higher than the loop forming portions, selectively raising the pile warps over cutting wires intermediate said noncutting wires, and withdrawing said non-cutting and cutting wires successively.

12. A method of weaving on a wire loom a pile fabric having a backing and sets of pile warps which comprises selectively raising the pile warps over non-cutting wires each having high and low loop forming portions connected by oppositely inclined loop forming portions and a loop raising portion at the front end higher than the loop forming portions, selectively raising the pile warps over cutting wires intermediate said noncutting wires having a height greater than the loop raising portion at the front end of said noncutting wires, and withdrawing said non-cutting and cutting wires successively.

13. A method of weaving on a wire loom a pile fabric having a backing and sets of pile warps which comprises selectively raising the pile warps from the backing to form weftwise rows of loops of varying height, increasing the height of all the loops in each row to a uniform height whereby the height of the loops in a preceding row in the same pile warps are reduced in height in varying degrees.

14. A method of weaving on a wire loom a pile fabric having a backing and sets of pile warps which comprises selectively raising the pile warps from the backing to form alternate weftwise rows of loops of varying height and intermediate rows of high loops, increasing the height of all the loops in alternate rows to a uniform height whereby the loops in a preceding alternate row in the same pile warps are reduced in height in varying degrees, and cutting the intermediate rows of loops to form tufts.

FRANCIS P. GROAT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,164,090 Shuttleworth June 27, 1939 2,318,080 Keen May 4, 1943 2,516,465 Jackson July 25, 1950 2,575,029 Shuttleworth Nov. 13, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 269,285 Germany Jan. 16, 1914 451,065 France Feb. 1, 1913 

